I have no idea where to start with this post. Do I start with the fact I'm having a new flare, despite 'clean' eating? Do I say that I'm glad my mini-meltdown from yesterday is over? Do I explain that despite thinking I was ready to reintroduce old foods, I may have to eliminate new ones?? Maybe that last one is a good place to start. It was the cause of the mini meltdown anyway and I need to start thinking of solutions, not dwelling on things I have no control over.

So here it is. I think that I am reacting to FODMAPs. Many IBS sufferers will be familiar with this acronym. Straight from Wiki:

FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates and monosaccharides which are poorly absorbed in the small intestine, including fructans, galactans, fructose and polyols. The term is an acronym, deriving from "Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols"

I had a little flare after eating cabbage and then a huge flare yesterday after eating a whole globe artichoke the night before. Yummy fresh, wholesome artichoke. Now added to my 'can't have' list.  Great.

On this occasion, there was nothing else that could have caused this flare other than the offending green ball. When I thought cabbage may have caused a flare,  I asked for some advice on the Facebook page The HS Diet Connection and I was told to consider FODMAPS. Now, I had heard of them before, but any elimination diet is overwhelming enough and when I started the AI protocol and looked at FODMAPs I just ignored the latter and focused on the AI diet. I was a bit overwhelmed as it was and I think that trying to cut out FODMAPs would've tipped me over the edge.

I have been doing the AI diet since February and although it's been hard, I don't feel as daunted by a new regime as I did back when I started. I think I am ready to make a change. From today I will spend a ridiculous amount of time (that I'll never get back) researching various internet resources on FODMAPs and familiarising myself with new recipes in order to fully embrace this new food lifestyle.

I did a basic search and found this beautiful table, produced by Aglaée the Paleo Dietitian, which stopped me spinning off the deep end and gave me a good place to start. Her site is stacked with info about all the variations on the paleo diet and has been a great place for me to start with this new look at foods. The following picture is used with her permission.

There are a few things that I am confident that I am ok eating. Well cooked onions, garlic, sweet potato and sauerkraut have all been my good friends over the past few months and I think I can tolerate them fairly well. However, this might be the completely subjective view of a person in denial. We'll see. For the purpose of staying sane and still being able to eat more than just chicken and carrots, I am reintroducing some of the old foods that are ok on the FODMAP chart. Starting with eggs. 

So, today has been a new 'Day 1' for me. I feel a bit lost again and a bit sick of it all. Just when I thought it was safe to leave Google alone for a while, I have to start at the very beginning of a new way of eating. Life could be worse I suppose. There could be no Google at all and then I'd be moaning about that.

And to get through it all, once again, I am playing the 'glad' game, remembering to be grateful for all the amazing stuff I have - although right now, I'd probably trade it all in for some Lindt 85% dark chocolate!